Iraqi opposition members trained in Washington
Iraq-USA, Politics, 8/28/2002

The US Department of State has stated that a group of 17 Iraqi opposition members will receive this week in Washington a training in communications for four days at the headquarters of the Department of State in order to help them how to promote their case against the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The spokesman for the department Richard Boucher said that this training which will be provided by the state department for four days aims at making these persons effective speakers who actually speak on behalf of the Iraqi people.

He added that the said 17 persons are considered "first rate" opposition member, living in exile in northern America and Europe and all of them have a history of speaking about the atrocity of Saddam Hussein regime.

He said the training course which commences today and ends Friday will include directives concerning means of appearing in TV interviews and ways of writing opinion articles to the press.

Boucher said he can not disclose the names of the participants in this training course without their consent.

The American spokesman said that the training will concentrate on basic techniques of interviewing in the realm of TV such as keeping the head up and to speak fluently while facing the camera upon talking, besides writing to the press clearly and precisely.

An official at the Iraqi National Congress which represents the main foreign opposition front said he does not believe that any member in the conference will take part in such a training. He also doubted a need for such a training.

He added this is an underestimation for the Iraqi intelligence and it is also humiliating to hear that the Iraqis are in need of learning how to talk against Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi official added "I do not know how the US State Department will teach people how to talk about their causes," in remarks that reflect deep confidence between the US Department of State and the Iraqi opposition.

In July this year, the US Department of State organized a meeting that lasted for two days for Iraqi opposition figures concerning "provisional justice." An expression on means of how to deal with the "legal vacuum" which will follow when Saddam Hussein will be toppled.

Symbols of the Iraqi opposition boycotted the meeting in protest of what was President Bush's hesitation to vow to establish a democratic rule in Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein.

In recent weeks, the US has intensified its cooperation with the Iraqi opposition in exile with the aim of preparing a political alternative for the current rule in Baghdad.

Previous Stories:
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  Some 17 Iraqis killed, wounded in American raids   (8/26/2002)
  Al-Deyar: Iraqi opposition trains volunteers to fight Saddam Hussein   (8/26/2002)

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